Producers and distributors of media content, as well as advertisers, are very interested in accurately measuring the size of their audiences. Such measurements ideally indicate the number of people that are exposed to, or that consume, the media content. There is also considerable interest in the demographics and other characteristics of media consumers.
Existing audience measurement techniques overlook many types of media consumption, consumer exposure to purchased music (on CD or mp3), video games, and movies. Initial sales data is available, but usage data is not. In other words, there may be information as to how many copies of a CD were purchased, but there is no information as to how often each consumer has listened to the CD (i.e., how often the consumer was exposed to the media item).
In addition, television viewing and radio listening are typically measured independently from each other and independently of other media consumption. Thus, there is no easy way to determine overall exposure to (consumption of) a particular content item such as an advertisement across various media, nor to obtain an overview of aggregate exposure to various media items and types of media items.
Another disadvantage of conventional media measurement techniques is that the effectiveness of advertising is typically measured in very broad terms. In particular, the effectiveness of advertising targeted at a particular demographic market segment is not easily determined, nor is it easy for advertisers to obtain quick feedback to confirm that their advertising has reached its intended target market.
Yet another disadvantage of conventional media measurement techniques is that such techniques are typically associated with the playback device (such as a particular television set, radio, or the like) and not directly associated with the consumer him- or herself (the viewer of the television set, listener to the radio, or the like). In addition, conventional measurement techniques do not provide a mechanism for tracking exposure both inside the home and outside the home (for example at a bar, or a friend's house, or the like).
Yet another disadvantage of conventional media measurement techniques is that they require active participation by the consumer and can often be quite burdensome. For example, in a “Nielsen family”, users must interact with the measuring device (or fill out a paper diary) to identify which family members are watching the television at any given time. Such requirements result in inaccuracy, lowered and/or unreliable participation, skewed results, and the like.
Finally, existing media measurement techniques do not correlate user exposure to media items with store visits or purchases.
What is needed, therefore, is a media measurement technique that addresses the above-described limitations of the prior art.
What is further needed is a media measurement technique that reliably tracks user exposure to media content, regardless of how the content is delivered to the user. What is further needed is a technique that does so without unduly burdening the user and without requiring action on his part.